Varsapura
Upcoming video game
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Varsapura[a] is an upcoming open-world role-playing video game jointly developed by miHoYo and HoYoverse. Set in a metropolis infused with supernatural elements, the game is produced by miHoYo co-founder Cai Haoyu.
Setting
Varsapura is an open-world role-playing video game set in a city that is characterized by supernatural phenomena.[1] The gameplay trailer shows the protagonist, "Hollowone," completing an assessment to join a mysterious organization known as the Supernatural Enforcement and Administration League (SEAL), driving through the city with another character, Sayuki, and entering an “inner world” to battle monstrous enemies.[2][3] In the trailer, the protagonist wields an umbrella-shaped weapon while Sayuki fights using stacks of documents. Players can switch between characters and employ stealth mechanics to assassinate enemies.[4][5] The trailer's description also notes that the protagonist's appearance will vary based on each player's preferences.[6]
Development
The game is produced by miHoYo co-founder Cai Haoyu, with development contributions from teams in Shanghai, Singapore, Los Angeles, Montreal, and other regions.[7] Unlike previous miHoYo titles, Varsapura adopts a more realistic visual style, though character faces retain anime-inspired features.[2][8] The city environments are primarily modeled on Singapore's city streets[9] as well as some skyscrapers of Shanghai, while the character designs take inspiration not from miHoYo's typical cel-shaded aesthetic but from the visual style of the company's virtual streamer Lumi.[6][7] Varsapura is also miHoYo's first game developed using Unreal Engine 5.[6]
On 21 November 2025, miHoYo published a 31-minute gameplay video, with job listings at the end of the video. A specific release date has not yet been announced.[10][3]
Reception
Pre-release
Kotaku's Ethan Gach described the game as resembling a psychological thriller more than a traditional fantasy or science-fiction title.[6] Austin Wood of GamesRadar+ wrote that although the game maintains an anime-influenced look, it is "smoother and more subdued," and that compared with the "sprawling chaos" of Ananta, Varsapura presents a more "focused" gameplay experience.[1] PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor praised the combat system and supernatural mystery elements but criticized the character faces as "cheap" and "plasticky," arguing that giving a realistically proportioned female character "a pair of giant twinkling eyes" creates a weird juxtaposition.[8] All three reviewers noted visual similarities between Varsapura and Control.[8][1][6]